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Justice News

Chester Man Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Fraud Scheme

Steven Hameed, 57, of Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 97 months in prison for his multi-year scheme to steal government homes and file false tax forms against various police officers and government officials, announced Acting United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen. Hameed’s co-conspirators, Darnell Young, 49, and Damond Palmer, 42, were sentenced in October 2016 to 40 months imprisonment, and 1 day in prison, respectively, for their crimes. All three were charged in December 2016 with one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States, one count of bank fraud, and one count of corrupt interference with Internal Revenue laws. Hameed was also charged with three counts of conversion of government property, and Young was also charged with one count of conversion of government property. Hameed and Young were also charged with one count of creating fictitious obligations.

defendants, who pled guilty in June 2016, filed false land deeds with the Delaware County Recorder of Deeds Office in an attempt to claim ownership of homes owned by the government or by banks, and then to live in the homes, or rent/sell the homes to unsuspecting persons, for their own financial gain. defendants, self-proclaimed “sovereign citizens,” also filed hundreds of false tax forms against police officers, judges, and other government employees in an attempt to harass and intimidate them in the course of their official duties. Hameed and Young were also convicted of creating a false financial bond in an attempt to purchase property. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Timothy J. Savage, United States District Judge, also ordered Hameed to pay full restitution to all victims.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, the Philadelphia Police Department, the Delaware County Detectives, the Aston Police Department, and the Upper Darby Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Amanda R. Reinitz.